Table of Contents

Environmentally Sensitive Areas

The city’s zoning code aims to minimize disturbances to environmental features and wildlife habitats. It outlines requirements for bayous, lakes, wetlands, habitats, and wooded areas. Requirements include identification of environmental features on planned development applications and mitigation actions to reduce adverse construction impacts (§5.5.C).

Food Systems | Food Trucks

The city’s comprehensive zoning ordinance provides a brief section on standards for mobile food trucks (§21.8.C.4). Mobile food trucks are allowed to operate on private property. The standards indicate that food trucks may provide temporary seating, may hookup to municipal electric or use generator power, may utilize signage, and operate in unused and vacant parking lots.

Historic Preservation

The city’s zoning code contains regulations for residential and non-residential districts in historic core neighborhoods (Articles 9 & 10) and in historic urban neighborhoods (Articles 11 & 12). Historic core neighborhoods are those developed in the colonial period, while historic urban neighborhoods are those developed in the mid to late 19th century. Unlike other historic preservation regulations, these regulations set permitted and conditional uses alongside site design standards.

Short-Term Residential Rentals

The city’s zoning code addresses short-term residential rentals. The code defines three types of short-term residential rentals (§26.6) and provides links to standards for temporary short term rentals (§21.8.C.14), accessory short term rentals (§21.6.II), and commercial short term rentals (§20.3.LLL).

The code provides for a short term rental interim zoning district, within which issuance and renewal of STR permits and licenses are temporarily prohibited while the City Planning Commission studies the topic and considers ordinance revisions (§19.4.A.1.h).

It also sets parking standards for accessory and commercial short-term rental units (§22.4.A, Table 22-1).

Zoning Reform and Code Writing

The city adopted a new zoning code in 2014. It includes a mix of use-based and form-based zoning standards. It defines and regulates uses based on broad categories, with select specific use types, and includes use-specific standards to minimize reliance on discretionary use permits. It is richly illustrated and uses tables to organize use permissions and dimensional standards.

Its purpose statements address promoting the public health, safety, and welfare; providing for efficient development processes; providing for the appropriate use of land; preserving and enhancing property values; protecting natural resources; promoting the principles of sustainability; providing for public facilities; promoting civic amenities; preserving historic resources; promoting unified civic design; implementing the local comprehensive plan (§1.2).